4 hours Ago
IF JAMIE Walker needs any proof about his bond with West Yorkshire , he only has to listen to his son gaming online. “My son when he's speaking to us at the dinner table or around the house has got a broad Scottish accent,” laughs Walker. “As soon as he goes on Fortnite or FIFA with his mates at school he starts talking differently.
I probably need to knock that out of him!” But the growing fondness with City – and the city itself – is clear. As Walker marked 100 appearances for the club earlier this week, his attachment is obvious. But his family, partner Courtney and their two children, are equally at home putting down roots south of the border.
"From the kids' point of view it's quite good for them to get them out of their comfort zone. “My son's been to two or three schools now and he's really come out of his shell as a boy. Sometimes stuff like that can really help them grow.
"It's a different environment, moving away from his family and he's really come out of his shell the last six to 12 months.” There were no long-term thoughts when Walker landed at City on loan from boyhood club Hearts in January 2022 as one of Derek Adams’ last signings. At that stage , he just needed to be playing again after finding himself out of the picture at Tynecastle.
But it didn’t take long for Walker to start falling for City’s appeal. He said: "I knew Bradford was a big football club but when I came I really realised how passionate the fans were and how big the expectation was. "I came here to get some games but maybe after two or three months, when Mark Hughes came in, I was really enjoying my football and was happy when the offer came to stay.
"At the end of that season we weren't really playing for anything. But in our heads at that time it was Mark Hughes' first season and the expectations were something I wanted to be part of. “The most important thing was where I was in my career.
I wasn't playing back home, I wasn't really enjoying it, to be honest. "I came here and really enjoyed my loan spell so that was probably the biggest factor at play in making me stay.” Jamie Walker on his City debut against Salford in January 2022 (Image: Thomas Gadd) City triggered a one-year option in Walker’s contract to keep him this season after they could not agree a new deal.
But he is not looking to move on and hopes to have done enough to ensure he is in the conversation when the club start to draw up their future plans. "I enjoy my football here, especially when we're playing well and I'm playing well. "I'm here until the end of the season contractually and I'd be happy to look at extending that but I think we need to try and get performances right on the pitch first.
“It's down to me to make sure the club say they have to give me a new contract. It's what I'm looking to do. "It's probably the worst thing about lower-league football, that unknown.
But on the other hand, it's part and parcel of the job we have. "I'm trying to cope as much as I can. I'd rather be in the position come January or February that I know what's coming at the end of the season.
"But I understand the club's stance on it, it's not easy. There might be somebody who's 50-50 or they're not in the plans but they need them for the rest of the season. "It's tough as a player but it's tough being in the club's position as well.
” Walker has spoken up about the mental health issues within football and how you deal with the uncertainty of not knowing what the next step will be. "There's not really a right or wrong way of dealing with it,” he admitted. “You just need to look at the positives.
“The most important thing for me is to be right in my mind and perform well on the pitch, then the rest takes care of itself. Jamie Walker played his 100th City game on Tuesday night (Image: Thomas Gadd) "Sometimes you sit at night or talk with your partner about what if this or that happens. But you can't really control those situations.
"You need to control what's in our hands, what you can actually impact and that’s playing well for Bradford City. “There'll always be worries, that's part of life, and you just need to cope with them as best you can. "Hearts will always be my club, I supported them since I was a kid and I played a lot of games there.
"But Bradford are closely behind there. I've moved my family, I've moved my life and no matter what happens come the end of the season I've spoken openly with my partner about maybe staying here after. "Hopefully it's not coming to an end any time soon.
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